Mother of teen stabbed to death while he slept at Brickell high-rise breaks silence
The mother of a 17-year-old who was stabbed to death earlier this month inside a luxury Brickell high-rise spoke publicly for the first time Monday as her legal team vowed to file a lawsuit and launch an investigation into Icon Brickell's security protocols, the building where the teen was killed.
"There was a colossal failure on the part of security. Not only was [the suspect] allowed in the building to complete this act but then he leaves the building without being approached by anyone. Every security standard that I can think about was violated in this case," said attorney Michael Haggard, who represents the family of stabbing victim Dominic Ferrell.
"When you are in a building that happens to be secure there is no reason for this to happen. You don't have the right to go on property of a building and you should be checked out and asked who are you and what are your doing here," Haggard added.
Christine Maron, Ferrell's mother, said her family is devastated, and blamed the building's security for her son's death.
"No mother or parent should ever go through this heartbreaking loss. Our family is shattered," Maron said. "This is a complete lack of security on the building part. Protections and protocols should have been followed to ensure safeguard."
Maron added: "We can't ever let something like this happen again."
She said she is setting up a fund to provide scholarships at four different schools: Miami Beach Senior High, where her son was going to be a senior; Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School, which he had attended; Immaculata-LaSalle High School; and Las Lomas School in California, where they had previously lived.
CBS News MIami has reached out to Icon Brickell for comment about the plans for the lawsuit but so far we have not heard back.
Haggard, who has also enlisted the aid of attorney Robert Barrar, told CBS News Miami that he hopes his lawsuit will go to a jury and said he heard that the death of Ferrell was still an open case with police.
The night of the Brickell stabbing murder
On June 8, Ferrell was found dead in an apartment on the 34th floor of the Icon complex, located at 485 Brickell Avenue. According to Miami police, the teen was stabbed to death in his sleep. Another person was also asleep in the unit at the time of the attack.
Police said the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Kyrill R. Kehl, had arrived in South Florida from Arizona two days earlier and was not staying at the building. Surveillance video showed Kehl loitering in the lobby before entering an elevator with residents, knocking on multiple doors, and eventually walking into the unlocked unit where Ferrell was sleeping.
"He then goes to the bedroom where the 17-year-old is sleeping and stabs him to death," Miami Police Officer Michael Vega said.
Suspect found dead after fleeing to nearby construction site
Kehl fled the scene and was later found dead at a nearby construction site, where police say he either fell or jumped.
"We know for a fact that they did not know each other," Vega said. "They were strangers… it is very important to lock your doors and do not open them to strangers."
Miami Fire Rescue spokesman Pete Sanchez confirmed that they were called but said the suspect refused treatment and because of that they were not allowed to gather information about him.
